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Yes, we are the best connected non-hub airport in America!

November 12, 2013

By Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR & Air Service Development.

According to a recently released study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology International Center for Transportation, Asheville Regional Airport is the best connected non-hub airport in the United States. Pretty impressive.

But what does “connectivity” mean?

The typical air traveler has one goal: get from point A to point B as easily as possible, within the timeframe needed, and hopefully, at a competitive price.

Now, if you live close to a large hub airport, such as Atlanta, you have many choices to help you achieve your travel goals. No question about it.

But if you live in a region our size, your choices may be limited. In fact, hundreds of regions in America have very limited air service options, and can’t achieve that air travel goal. People in those regions may give up the ease of travel by either driving hours to a different airport or connecting in multiple cities to finally reach their destinations. They may also have to alter their travel timelines because flights are unavailable when they would prefer. Not so for western North Carolina travelers. We have options.

Asheville Regional Airport tops a list of over 300 non-hub airports across the country for its excellent connectivity. Frequency of daily flights to major hubs is a primary contributor to this rating, with Delta to Atlanta and US Airways to Charlotte feeding 70% of all AVL air travelers to just about every connection bank at these major hubs. Basically, flights every day from Asheville can get you to and from almost anywhere in the world with one easy connection. Daily flights to Chicago on United also contribute, as well as seasonal flights to Detroit, LaGuardia and Newark.

We also have a great partnership with Allegiant Travel Company, who offers low-cost non-stop flights to four Florida destinations. This works very well for our region, because several of our top-ten destination cities are in Florida – and conversely, a very high percentage of visitors to western North Carolina are from Florida.

Airport management is in routine communication with airline planners. We advocate for new routes and services for our customers – routes that make sense, and that could be profitable for airlines. This is ongoing, diligent work. But today we are reflecting, and it is great perspective to understand where we rank with our air service. And that’s at the top.

Airlines continue to provide excellent service from Asheville Regional Airport because travelers are using the flights. Travelers often find a winning proposition in the travel equation at AVL: they can easily get to their destination within the timeframe needed … and prices are often competitive. A good balance has been forged, and the more western North Carolinians use their local airport, the better our options will continue to be.

Feels good to be a leading airport. Let’s work together to stay there. Thanks for checking AVL first for your travel needs.